


Gladiators

by GriffinRose



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Blood, Everyone's pretty much here, Gen, Gladiators, Illegal Fight Club, Torture, but those are the main three, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 17:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7541992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GriffinRose/pseuds/GriffinRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy, Jason, and Frank go for a guys day out, but it ends with them in a new coliseum. They are forced to fight monsters almost daily, no matter their injuries. Meanwhile Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel are going crazy with worry trying to find them. But with the boys completely off the grid, will they have enough time before the constant fighting does them in?</p><p>Edit: I reread this and found out I'd forgotten a huge chunk of rather important story. It has now been added.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gladiators

**Author's Note:**

> Written after HoH and before BoO.

It was supposed to be a guys’ day out. It was supposed to be relaxing. They were supposed to be able to go out and enjoy a day at the go-cart, paintball, and laser-tag extravaganza. Of course, it wasn’t the same without Leo; he was still off looking for Calypso, but Frank, Percy, and Jason had been determined to enjoy the day anyway. Leo had checked in the night before and assured them that he was fine with them going without him, and that he felt he was almost to Ogygia and was more excited about that anyway. So the trio had kissed their girlfriends that morning and left to enjoy a normal day.

 

Supposedly, they would have spent the day eating greasy food and playing fun, challenging games. Percy proved he was the most adept at driving when they started with go-carts, mainly because he was the most daring on the track. Jason had made sure he painted Percy all the colors of the rainbow during paintball, leaving some fantastic welts on Percy’s skin. The boys had even managed to turn eating into a competition, challenging each other to see who could eat the most pizza. In hindsight, that hadn’t been such a good idea.

 

Supposedly, it was supposed to be a good day. Frank was having his moment of glory in laser-tag, using strategies of war to annihilate Percy and Jason time after time. For whatever reason, the two boys couldn’t actually be serious enough to concentrate on anything other than competing with each other and so Frank was able to sneak up on them constantly.

 

This, though, was where their supposedly good day turned into their worst nightmare. So absorbed in annihilating each other they hadn’t noticed the arena slowly emptying of other combatants. But for once, they were relaxed. They were having fun, like normal teenage boys.

 

The knock-out gas that filtered through the vents though…that definitely wasn’t normal. But the arena was so huge that by the time they noticed anything was actually wrong, there was too much in the air for them to do anything. One by one they crashed to the ground, laser-tag guns skidding across the floor and the lights on their chest plates lighting up.

 

Xx

 

They woke up with aching heads and nauseous stomachs. Glancing around at each other curiously, they took stock of their new situation.

 

The room they were in was small, three cots pushed against the three walls. The cots practically touched at all corners, and they certainly weren’t winning any comfort awards. Thin blankets were folded at the end of each cot, and there wasn’t even a pillow anywhere in the room. There were no windows either, only a single door in the center of the only wall without a bed against it. The door had a small barred window at about eye-level, which didn’t exactly reassure the boys on their current predicament.

 

“Anyone remember what happened?” Jason ventured. Percy and Frank shook their heads, just as bewildered. “And any clue on where we are?”

 

Frank got up to check the door, making sure they were actually locked inside.

 

“Mental ward maybe?” Percy suggested. Jason and Frank both gave him odd looks. “What? Is it really that crazy an idea?”

 

Jason glanced around their quarters as if that was answer enough. “I think an actual mental ward would have decent beds. These cots look they’re from prison.”

 

Percy scoffed. “Like you’ve seen a real prison.”

 

“I have actually,” Jason refuted. Percy gave him a look. “Weird things happen on quests, man. Weird things.”

 

Percy left it at that, figuring he’d probably been in just as strange places. Frank gave Jason a lingering gaze before turning back to the door.

 

“I don’t suppose your jail time gave you lock-picking abilities?” Frank asked. Jason shook his head.

 

“Can’t you just turn into a bear or something and break the door down?” Percy asked. Frank pushed against the door experimentally, analyzing it.

 

“I don’t know…it seems pretty solid. Worth a shot though,” he shrugged. He backed up a few paces which almost brought him to the bed on the opposite wall, and then his form shimmered and broke down until reforming into a large black grizzly bear.

 

He rammed into the door, making their whole room shake. The door, however, didn’t budge. He tried again, and again, but was met with the same result. Just as he was about to try again, a voice shouted down the hallway.

 

“Alright, we hear you! Knock it off!”

 

Frank paused and quickly reverted back to human. They didn’t know if these people knew all about them or not, but an ace up their sleeve like Frank’s shapeshifting could only come in handy. Frank stepped back and they heard a lock in the door.

 

“Do we jump him?” Percy asked, getting to his feet. Jason did as well.

 

“I’m all for it,” he muttered.

 

The door opened and the boys were about to pounce, but a pointy spear directed right at them made them think twice. The guard smirked as they all bounced back onto their heels. The guard wore typical Roman armor, studded metal skirt and gold breastplate and all. “It’s good to see the three of you awake. Belgertia will be pleased. He is most excited to see you all compete.”

 

“Compete?” Percy repeated. The guard smirked.

 

“You’re the son of the sea god, correct?” the guard asked. All three of them stiffened. This guy was clearly mortal, but he knew about the gods?

 

“How do you know that?” Percy asked. The guard pointed to Percy’s arm.

 

“Your tattoos aren’t very secretive. And we’re anxious to be rid of you first, so follow me,” the guard ordered.

 

“Whoa, hey, I’m not about to follow you somewhere that I’m going to die,” Percy protested.

 

“Nor are we going to let you just take him,” Jason said. The guard raised his spear. Its point was inches from them.

 

“You don’t have a choice. And you might not die. It just depends if you win,” the guard told Percy. “However, if you don’t follow me now, I’ll just skewer you on the spot and be done with it.”

 

Percy gulped. “You make a compelling argument.”

 

Jason clapped him on the shoulder, not happy with the situation but not seeing any options other than cooperate either. “If you get a fighting chance, then you can win easy. And maybe escape and get us out of here,” Jason said.

 

Percy smiled back at him confidently. “You know I will,” he said. He turned back to the guard. “All right, lead the way to my cage match.”

 

The guard stepped out of the room, Percy following. The door closed and the lock clicked, leaving Jason and Frank alone to worry about their friend.

 

“You really think he’ll be okay?” Frank said. “I mean, we don’t even know what’s going on.”

 

“Like I said, if Percy’s allowed a fighting chance then he’ll win. He’s stubborn that way,” Jason said. He sat down on the cot opposite the door, effectively claiming that one as his own for the duration of their stay. Frank still looked uncertain and he glanced at the door.

 

“Should I keep trying to break it down?”

 

“Too noisy,” Jason argued. “That’s how they knew we were awake. Can you turn into something small enough to fit through the bars though?”

 

“Maybe,” Frank said. He concentrated, trying hard to get it right. It was still hard for him to do multiple transformations like this, though he was a lot better since the war.

 

Eventually, his form shifted until he was a small ferret. He scurried to the door, leaping against the bottom of it.

 

“Hold on,” Jason said, jumping up to help. He picked Frank up and held him against the barred window. Frank scurried precariously onto the ledge, barely balancing on the small ledge. It was a long way down to the ground. “Can you do it?”

 

Frank steeled himself and jumped down, aiming for the door handle. He missed though, and ended up landing awkwardly in a heap. He lay there for a few moments before shakily getting to his paws. For now, he would stay as a ferret. This form was smaller and less noticeable.

 

He scurried away, looking for anything that might help. He didn’t see any keys just hanging on the walls, though this was a long hallway. There were a lot more doors spanning the length of it, and Frank had to wonder how many others were there.

 

The sounds of a crowd cheering reached his ears, and he paused with one paw raised. There was a muffled monster roaring as well; Percy must have started the fight then. He wished him luck and continued exploring.

 

There was a guard at the end of the hallway, though he wasn’t watching the hallway. His attention was focused around the corner, and Frank could hear people talking. There were excited exclamations and cheers. Frank could only hope Percy was doing okay.

 

He quietly crept up behind the guard and looked around cautiously. The room around the corner was some sort of armory; there were collections of different swords, spears, shields, daggers, whips, bow and arrows, and even lances. It all looked like it was imperial gold, and Frank really had to wonder at what was going on here.

 

There was still a lack of keys. The guard at the end of the hallway didn’t have any on him, and it didn’t look like the armory had any anywhere. At the other end of the armory though there was a cage door, almost like a portcullis, and Frank recognized the guard there as the one that had taken Percy. He would have to have keys.

 

Frank scurried carefully over to him, but his moving shape attracted attention nonetheless.

 

“What the—Is that a rat?” the guard at the hallway asked. Frank continued to the guard at the portcullis. The other guard turned and cursed.

 

“Kill it!” he demanded, reaching over and picking up one of the spears. He stabbed at Frank as he came closer, but Frank’s lean body was able to avoid the attacks. As the guard moved though, Frank noticed the swinging key ring on his hip.

 

Jackpot.

 

Frank leapt to the man’s leg, clinging to his pants and scurrying up. He had just wrapped his teeth around the key ring when the guard grabbed him around his body and ripped him away, throwing him at the wall in disgust. Frank slumped to the ground and didn’t move. His body reverted to his human form without his willing it, and the guards cursed and came after him. He couldn’t find it in him to move though as they kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious before they dragged him back to the cell.

 

Jason was pacing anxiously, and he jumped when he heard the lock in the door. Assuming it was Frank, he rushed over to the door. When the door opened though and he was rudely pushed back, Frank mercilessly thrown at him, his hopes plummeted. He barely managed to keep Frank from hitting the ground.

 

“If any of you lot try to escape again, we won’t be so merciful,” the guard said before slamming the door. Jason pursed his lips before looking down at Frank.

 

“Frank? Hey, can you hear me?” Jason asked. He gently put Frank on the ground and checked him for injuries, only finding the lump on Frank’s head.

 

A hammer pounded on the door, and Jason looked up to see a piece of wood over the barred window. The hammer continued for a few minutes, sealing off the one escape route they’d had.

 

Jason’s hopes plummeted more.

 

The constant hammering did, however, stir Frank. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

“Frank?” Jason asked. Frank’s response was to groan more. Jason frowned. “Come on, man, open your eyes.”

 

Frank unwillingly did so. His eyes were glazed over from the concussion. “Couldn’t get the key,” he mumbled. “Went flying into a wall.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jason said. “Let’s just get you onto a bed.”

 

Frank wouldn’t have managed to stand up if not for Jason supporting most of his weight, and even then it was mostly a fall to the closest bed. Frank rearranged himself only so that his whole body was on the bed, and then he went back to sleep.

 

Jason sat on the edge of the bed he’d been on before and sighed. The door opened again, and a messy looking Percy was pushed into the cell. He turned quickly and tried to lash out at the guard, maybe stop the door from closing, but it was already too late. The door slammed into his face, and all he could do was hit his fist against it as the lock clicked back into place.

 

“You okay?” Jason asked. Percy turned and looked at him.

 

“They want us to be gladiators,” Percy stated. Jason raised a brow. “They’re complete wackos! They’re selling tickets to people to see kids they steal fighting monsters!”

 

“You’re kidding,” Jason said. Percy shook his head.

 

“Belgertia, the guy in charge, can see through the Mist and he made some sort of deal with a minor god. The god gives him monsters that the mortals think are just animals or robots or something and whatever kids they steal have to fight them.”

 

Jason was speechless. “Dude, we’ve been in crazy before but this…”

 

“This takes the cake and the pie. And all the cookies,” Percy stated, crossing his arms angrily. He finally glanced at Frank. “What’s wrong with him?”

 

“Concussion, I think. He tried to escape, but they caught him. We’ve been warned they’ll just kill us next time,” Jason said dryly. Percy just laughed.

 

“I guess that explains the wood over the window,” he said. Jason nodded. Percy went over to the other unoccupied bed. “So now what? We just wait for a rescue?”

 

“The girls have to know we’re missing by now; I’m guessing we were unconscious for most of the night, so that right there would tip them off that something was wrong. And with Annabeth leading them, we shouldn’t be here more than a few more days,” Jason said.

 

Percy smirked. “Yeah, she sort of hates when I go missing,” he stated. Jason laughed.

 

“That’s a bit of an understatement,” he said. Percy smiled toothily.

 

“So we just have to make sure we don’t die before they get here,” Percy said.

 

“Yeah, that might piss them off,” Jason said. Percy shook his head slowly in disbelief of their whole situation.

 

“I know this is real, but…is this actually happening to us right now?” Percy asked. Jason sighed, the smile slipping from his face.

 

“As much as I don’t want it to be…I think it is.”

 

Chapter 2

 

They were given food and water twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. The only ‘bathroom’ they had was a chamber pot in the corner of the room that was cleaned while they ate. The only time they were allowed out of their cell was when they had to fight. At first they hadn’t really worried about that; they had faith in their abilities to defeat any monster they were up against. But as knowledge of their prowess grew, the fights became more difficult. The monsters were tougher or there were several of them.

 

And as far as they could tell, they had no way to escape. They’d tried tackling the guards as they opened the door for their food, but another guard had been there with a spear and had nearly skewered Percy. Every time after that a guard or two was ready with a spear pointing at them, preventing them from getting close enough to try and escape. Jason had at one point managed to take out the guard with a spear, but reinforcements had been called for before he had taken out the other guard and he had been roughed up pretty badly. He still had a split lip from that a week later.

 

With nothing else to do, they mostly passed the time relating quest adventures or making stuff up. They tried not to think of how worried everyone back at camp would be, and they hoped Leo had found Calypso okay.

 

But overall, their captivity was rather boring.

 

Two weeks passed without any part of their status changing. They had each been put in what they were calling the New Coliseum about eight times, and they had made it out of each time with barely more than a scratch or a bruise. Not that they were complaining, but they were getting more and more antsy as their status remained the same. 

 

“I spy with my—” Percy started.

 

“Gods no!” Jason interjected, sitting up on his bed to glare at Percy. “We are done with that awful game!”

 

“But I’m so bored!” Percy whined. Frank covered his ears with his hands. Percy’s ADHD was not doing him any favors here, and he was easily the most bored out of the three of them. Frank didn’t have ADHD, so having to sit in silence for hours on end wasn’t the absolute worst thing in the world. Jason said he didn’t know if he had it or not, but since he’d been brought up in the legion he had the restraint this needed to not be going off the walls. Though that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

 

“Go to sleep!” Jason suggested, collapsing back onto the bed and throwing an arm over his face.

 

“That’s all we ever do!” Percy complained.

 

“Well if you want to try your hand at escaping again, be our guest!” Jason suggested. Percy went quiet and looked at the door.

 

“Maybe if we pull on it long enough and hard enough it will weaken to the point we can just rip it off its hinges,” Percy thought out loud, getting up to try. Jason moved his arm and turned his head to watch Percy. Frank sat up a little.

 

Percy gripped the handle and braced his foot against the wall and pulled. Jason and Frank glanced at each with brows raised before looking back at Percy.

 

“Should we tell him it’s never going to work?” Frank asked Jason. Jason thought about it.

 

“Leave him be. It’s better than ‘I spy,’” Jason decided. Frank shuddered and nodded.

 

“I can hear you,” Percy stated.

 

“Just keep going, you’re doing great,” Jason encouraged. Percy looked backwards at him and glared.

 

“I have this feeling you’re being sarcastic,” Percy said dryly.

 

“Then ignore me,” Jason said. Percy opened his mouth to argue, but the lock in the door stopped him. He righted himself just as it opened and without thinking ducked under the spear he knew was there to tackle the guard.

 

Jason and Frank jumped to their feet and rushed forward to help. The second guard grabbed Percy and slammed his head into the wall while the one Percy had tackled got back up. Percy sank to the floor, dazed, and was kicked in the chest.

 

Jason tackled the guard, knocking him into the other guard and sending them all to the ground. Reinforcements had already heard the scuffle though and were running down the hall.

 

“Let’s move!” Frank said, helping Percy to his feet. Jason tried to get up but was in the middle of a wrestling match with two guards, a match he was losing. Frank let go of Percy to help, pulling one guard off of him.

 

They lost the advantage they had though, and the reinforcements had Percy and Frank pinned to the wall while the original guards had Jason pinned face-down on the floor.

 

“Brats,” a guard spat.

 

“Which one did Boss want?” another asked.

 

“The blonde one I think,” the first responded. The guards nodded, and Frank and Percy were tossed back into their cell while Jason was hauled to his feet and dragged to the new coliseum.

 

A sword was hastily picked up for him as they passed through the armory and it was pressed into his hand as the portcullis rose. He was pushed into the arena, the bright lights blinding him momentarily and the sudden roar of the crowd deafening. The portcullis shut behind him, guards standing on the other side with spears pointed at him.

 

He took a few steps further into the arena. The ceiling was a good two or three hundred feet above him, but it blocked him trying to just fly out of there for help. He didn’t know where any of the doors around the arena were either, and he had a feeling those wouldn’t be easy to escape out of either, so he didn’t want to fly up to the stands to find out and give away his flying ability.

 

The portcullis on the other side of the arena rose, releasing his opponent. He gripped his sword tightly, hoping to just get this over with quickly. As boring as their little cell was, at least it was safe.

 

A lion stalked out of the opening, and Jason paused. They didn’t usually put real animals in here…and more importantly he didn’t really want to kill an actual lion. Monsters were one thing, but a mortal lion was another. The lion had done nothing to him.

 

Well, it hadn’t, anyway, until it charged Jason. Jason dove out of the way, somersaulting back to his feet and raising his sword again. The lion’s hide glinted in the light, and Jason furrowed his brow at it as the lion attacked again. He jumped back, doing everything he could to not actually attack this lion.

 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t seeing another option. He didn’t have an escape route, and he couldn’t leave the arena until either he was dead or the lion was dead. Since he didn’t actually want to die, it was going to have to be the lion.

 

“Sorry,” he muttered to the beast, sidestepping another attack and swinging down at the beast’s back.

 

His sword glanced off the lion’s hide. Jason’s eyes widened in surprise and the lion pounced at him. Jason dove to the ground, losing his sword under the lion’s paw as he scrambled to his feet again.

 

“What?” he cried, backing up slowly as the lion stalked forward with a growl. An indestructible lion? What sort of monster was that?

 

He backed up until he hit the wall, the crowd’s cheers never-ending. His sword still lay on the ground twenty feet behind the lion. His mind raced, trying to figure out a way to kill this thing if his sword wouldn’t work. He could try and summon lightening, but he didn’t want to reveal how powerful he actually was if he could avoid it.

 

The lion pounced again, and Jason once again dove to the dusty ground. Popping back up to his feet, he raced for his sword. Useful or not, he felt better having a weapon in his hand. The lion pushed off the wall and chased him, much closer than Jason would have liked as he picked up his sword again. He whirled to face the beast, catching a paw with his blade. He braced his other hand against his blade to keep the lion from pushing against him, but the lion just reared up on its back legs and swiped at Jason with his other paw.

 

Jason turned to dive out of the way, but he wasn’t fast enough. Claws raked across his back, turning his shirt into rags and his skin into minced-meat. Jason cried out, four gashes bleeding crimson on his back. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The lion landed on all fours and was about to tear a bite out of Jason’s neck, but Jason had just enough presence of mind to raise his sword to block the attack.

 

His back was pressed against the ground and the lion snapped around the sword. Jason peered up at him through barely opened his eyes, his face masked in pain. His back was fire itself, and he was losing blood fast.

 

As the lion snapped around his sword though, inspiration struck Jason.

 

The inside of his mouth was clearly soft…it didn’t glint like the outside of it did. It must be the lion’s only vulnerable spot.

 

And if it wasn’t…well he was probably going to die anyway, so he might as well try. The lion pulled back, about to lunge in again around Jason’s sword. Jason changed the angle just a bit, and the sword went through the lion’s throat.

 

It froze and gagged, choking on the blade. Jason let go of the sword as it stumbled away, and he rolled into a ball on his side. He heard the lion fall as well, and he felt bits of the dust as it dissolved brush against his face.

 

He wasn’t really aware of much else; the crowd around him meant nothing, as did the hands on his arms pulling him to his feet and dragging him along. He focused on keeping his mouth shut, because he knew as soon as he opened his mouth he was going to scream and he didn’t know if he would stop.

 

He felt himself being thrown on his stomach on a hard surface, and he felt his legs and his arms being pulled in different directions. Coarse rope wrapped around his ankles and his wrists, keeping them apart in a star formation. What was left of his shirt was cut away, and then something was poured onto his back.

 

He screamed then, straining against the ropes. His back arched as he tried to get away from the pain, but there was nowhere for him to go. A rag of some sort was dragged across his back, and although he knew it must have been cleaning the wounds it still hurt like hell.

 

There was a temporary pause in the care of his back, and Jason looked around blearily while he panted for breath. He was tied down on a wooden bed frame of some sort under the coliseum, a few guards standing around. There was one man leaning over a fire, more heavyset than the others. He turned around, holding a red hot poker in gloved hands.

 

This man came towards Jason with the poker, and it took Jason’s pain-filled mind a moment to realize what he intended to do with it. His eyes widened. “No, please don’t!” he begged. He would rather bleed to death than have this man cauterize his back.

 

The man only gave him a barely sympathetic look before lowering the metal onto Jason’s back.

 

If Jason thought he’d been in pain before, it was nothing to how he felt now. He tore his wrists and his ankles open as he strained against the ropes, he writhed as much as he could to try and get away from the poker, but he was completely trapped. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and he almost threw up when he realized it was his flesh being burned.

 

He didn’t even notice the man walk away to reheat the poker for the next gash until the freshly heated rod was being pressed against his skin. His screaming continued, his only release for the incredible amount of pain. It wasn’t really helping, and he wavered on the edge of consciousness.

 

Every time he thought it was getting better, the man returned with the poker and brought along fresh pain. Jason would rather have had the stupid lion tear him apart than let this man keep burning everything closed, and he cursed his high pain tolerance that kept him awake as long as it did. He only passed out when he knew the man was almost done, only to be woken up again as fresh water was poured over the new burns.

 

He didn’t have anything left in him to scream at the new waves of pain.

 

“Take him to his cell, and then take him off the roster for the next week. He won’t be fighting anytime soon,” a guard said. Jason felt them untie his wrists and ankles, and they grabbed his biceps and hauled him to his feet again. He didn’t even try and stand on his own as they dragged him down unfamiliar hallways. He just wanted to sleep forever.

 

Xx

 

Percy and Frank were a little dazed after the guards had tossed them back in their cell, but overall they handled it well. They stretched out on their bunks and waited for Jason to come back, staying silent while they waited. It was a testament to how worried Percy actually was that he didn’t try and start any conversations or frivolous games while Jason was gone.

 

After the normal amount of time passed, they started to get worried. Usually fights didn’t take more than ten minutes when they were fighting, but it had already been about twenty.

 

That was when the screaming started.

 

They knew it was Jason, too many battles with him allowing them to know his voice at all times. They also knew he was in pain, and there was nothing they could do. They jumped to their feet and pounded on the door, Frank turning into a bear to try and knock it down again. He would have turned into something larger, but there really wasn’t room for anything larger.

 

The screaming seemed to go on forever, and it wasn’t letting up.

 

“What are they doing to him?” Frank asked, for once sounding like the sixteen year old he actually was. Percy looked the door up and down worriedly.

 

“I wish I knew,” he said. They kept at it with the door, but they made no more progress with it.

 

Jason’s screams stopped, and they feared the worst. They kept glancing at each other nervously, but they couldn’t find comfort in the fear reflected on the other’s face.

 

“They would tell us if something happened to him…right?” Frank asked. Percy didn’t answer. Several more minutes passed, and they both sat down on the edge of their bunks, watching the door anxiously.

 

Finally, the door opened. Jason was unceremoniously thrown onto the floor of the cell, the door closing behind him, and he made no move to get up.

 

Percy and Frank were at his side in an instant. “Jason?” Percy asked, touching his shoulder hesitantly. His eyes slid to Jason’s back where Frank’s gaze was already locked. “Holy Poseidon,” he muttered.

 

Jason’s back was a mess of fresh burns, the skin tight and shiny. Almost all of his back was covered in burns; they could barely make out the gashes that were under the burns, but it all looked like ten different kinds of painful. It was no wonder he had been screaming so much.

 

“It’s just like the real coliseum,” Frank realized. “If someone had an open wound, they would seal it by burning it shut.”

 

Percy glanced up at him. “What the hell kind of place have we ended up in? This isn’t the ancient world anymore, we have modern technology! They didn’t have to do this!”

 

Frank shrugged helplessly. “I guess they want it to be as like the original coliseum as they can get it,” he said miserably. Percy shook his head and glared at the door. This was the first time any of them had been badly injured during this, and it was terrifying to realize that they had no way to deal with it. Whatever care these people provided them with was all they had.

 

He wasn’t at all happy with it. “Help me get him to his bed,” Percy said, lifting Jason around his shoulders. Frank picked up Jason’s legs and together they moved him onto his bed, again on his stomach. Jason kept his face scrunched up in pain, and they couldn’t tell if he was actually unconscious or not. Either way, whatever he had to say probably wouldn’t be entirely helpful to their current situation. “Just get some rest Jason.”

 

Jason hardly needed to be told, but knowing they weren’t demanding to know what had happened right now meant he didn’t try very hard to cling onto consciousness. The blissful abyss that unconsciousness offered him sounded like paradise, and he welcomed it with open arms.

 

He was asleep in a matter of minutes, and Percy and Frank sat back on their bunks, both staring at him sadly. Percy mussed up his hair. _Annabeth…you need to find us soon. I don’t know how much longer we can all last here_.

 

Chapter 3

****

 

 

Leo held onto Calypso’s hand tightly with his own as the _Argo II_ sailed gently into the port at Camp Half Blood. It had taken him longer than he’d anticipated to find Ogygia on purpose, but once he had it had been incredibly easy to leave it and make his way back to camp. Calypso had enjoyed the sailing and exploring the ship the most, but now her eyes were glued on the shoreline.

 

Leo glanced over to her with a smile. Her eyes were taking in all the details of this new world, and he couldn’t wait to show her around everywhere. She was going to love it!

 

He docked the ship and Calypso patiently waited for him to secure everything before they went into the camp together. A crowd of people were already waiting, and they gave them both a warm welcome. Leo and Calypso were both hoisted onto shoulders and paraded into the center of camp, the campers proud to display the return of Calypso to the modern world.

 

Chiron gave them each strong hugs and patted Leo on the back. Leo couldn’t stop smiling, and Calypso didn’t stray too far from his side. She was excited at all the people and all the new sights, but in a large dose like this it was a little overwhelming.

 

Rachel Elizabeth Dare offered to share her cave with Calypso, as Calypso wasn’t exactly ‘cabin’ material, and Calypso went off with the oracle to settle in. Leo promised to come help with rearranging the cave for both of them to share and figuring out what would be needed, but first he had to find his friends.

 

He was a little hurt they hadn’t already greeted him. When he asked Clarisse where the six were, he was surprised to see her frown and look away. “Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel are probably in Cabin Six,” she said. “It’s not gonna be a pretty sight.”

 

With that she walked away, leaving Leo very confused. Shrugging it off, he headed off for the Athena cabin. He had to wonder why Clarisse had only mentioned the girls, and then he wondered why Hazel would still be here. He had thought after the guys day she and Frank were going back to New Rome. And for that matter, wasn’t Percy and Annabeth supposed to be in New York City with Percy’s family right now? What was Annabeth still doing here?

 

He knocked on the cabin door. “Guess who’s back?” he yelled through the door. He heard his name being called a few time and then a rushed scrambling as the door opened and Piper threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and hugged her back.

 

“Leo!” she exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you!”

 

He thought her grip around him was a little tight, and he was really left wondering what was going on. She pulled away and stepped aside, letting him in.

 

The cabin was a mess. White boards and corkboards filled with papers were around one bunk in particular, and loose papers were scattered all over. Annabeth briefly glanced up at him, her face barely smiling before she turned back to her laptop and scribbled something down in a notebook. Hazel got up from the papers she’d been sifting through and hugged Leo, but he could tell her energy was down.

 

“Not exactly the warm welcome from you guys that I was imagining,” Leo prompted. Piper ran a hand through her hair; it was messier than she normally kept it.

 

“Yeah, sorry…we’ve just been really preoccupied the last two weeks,” Piper said. “Everything is okay with Calypso then?”

 

“Yeah; she’s really excited to be here, and right now she’s getting settled in with Rachel. I was going to head up and see what I can do to help after I saw all of you guys again,” Leo said. “She’s excited to meet all of you guys too.”

 

Piper smiled, but it seemed forced. Leo noticed bags under her eyes, bags that were also under Hazel’s eyes.

 

“We’re looking forward to meeting her too,” Hazel said warmly. Leo smiled, as always trying to keep a jolly spirit for everyone else.

 

“So what’s had you guys so preoccupied?” Leo finally questioned. He looked directly at Piper for his answer, but she looked away sadly. Turning to Hazel, she looked away to. “Guys?”

 

“They’re missing,” Annabeth stated. She now sat with her head in her hands, perfectly still.

 

Leo furrowed his brow. “Come again?”

 

“The guys. Percy, Frank, and Jason. All three of them are missing,” she reiterated. Leo’s spirits sank.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked dumbly.

 

“We haven’t seen any of them since the morning of their guys’ day,” Piper said. She crossed her arms tightly. “It’s like they just dropped off the face of the earth.”

 

“Did a goddess get angry again or something?” Leo asked.

 

“That’s what our first thought was too,” Hazel said. “But Juno actually spoke to Piper in a dream telling her that she needed to find Jason.”

 

Piper didn’t look happy about it, but she nodded when Leo looked at her.

 

“So, like normal mortals kidnapped them then?” he asked.

 

“As much I don’t think it could happen, it’s the only option we’re being left with,” Piper said. “We’ve got the NYPD looking for them and they’ve actually been added to a case the FBI was already working. Apparently guys from all over the country have been getting kidnapped for the last few months, and they’re all around the same age and the same build.”

 

The papers around the room made sense to Leo now. The girls, not content to just let the feds handle this, had taken the investigation into their own hands. The papers pinned to the boards were all missing people’s reports, the notes on the white boards detailed how everyone had been found missing, the pages scattered around were the patterns the girls had found so far.

 

“What leads do you have so far?” Leo asked. How they had gotten this information, he wasn’t entirely sure. But there were more important things to worry about than their hacking skills.

 

“Not many,” Hazel said sadly. She returned to the papers she’d been sifting through. “They were last seen at the laser tag place. The man working it said he recognized them being one of the last groups there at the end of the day, but they left along with everyone else when one of the fog machines broke down.”

 

“I’ve got Riley from the Hermes cabin working on downloading the security footage of the place, so we’ll see if that’s true,” Annabeth said.

 

“You think the man was lying?” Leo questioned. Annabeth nodded.

 

“He was shifty, and I don’t trust shifty,” she stated.

 

They couldn’t argue with that. “What about Nico?”

 

“He’s looking everywhere, but he can’t find them. We’ve told the Hunters to keep an eye out too,” Hazel said. Leo sagged against the doorframe.

 

“At least Nico is able to reassure us that they aren’t dead,” Piper said quietly.

 

“What about that one satyr that has that link with Percy?” Leo offered.

 

“He’s been trying, but their connection has been weak. He can’t really get anything from Percy,” Annabeth replied. “He thinks the distance is just too great, so he’s been moving around the country trying to get a better signal.”

 

Leo nodded. He pushed himself off the doorframe and went to the boards of missing teens. The only feature they all seemed to have in common is that they could probably all beat Leo up. They were different ethnicities, their ages ranged from fifteen to nineteen, they had different hair color and eye color, but they were all well-built and muscled. How all of these kids who looked like they could easily defend themselves had managed to get kidnapped, Leo would love to know.

 

“They all look like they could be MMA fighters,” Leo commented. Annabeth glanced over at him, churning the possibility around in her mind. Her eyes widened and she turned back to her laptop, pulling up a new search page.

 

Her new frenzy didn’t go unnoticed. “Uh, Annabeth? Are you okay?” Piper asked.

 

“What if Leo’s right?” she asked.

 

“Hey! I’m right a lot!” Leo defended.

 

She went on like he hadn’t said anything. “What if all of these teens were kidnapped because they can all fight? What if they’re in some sort of black market MMA or something? Like illegal dog fights or cock fights?”

 

Leo giggled, but Piper smacked him upside the head. “It would make sense why they would target our guys then,” Piper said.

 

“But how would we find them?” Hazel asked.

 

“That’s what I’m trying to do now…if they were kidnapped for that reason, then whoever kidnapped them would be selling illegal tickets somewhere for people to watch…”

 

It took her another two hours to find what she was looking for, by which point the other three had stopped hovering over her shoulder and gone back to what they were doing before. Leo went up to check on Calypso and tell her what was going on, but he came back down about ten minutes before Annabeth made her find.

 

“Jackpot!” she cheered. The three of them jumped and raced over to her side.

 

“What did you find?” Piper demanded.

 

“It’s called the Gladiator’s Arena, based in Kansas somewhere. The website says it’s picked special fighters from around the country to fight animals and monsters of all sorts, just like in ancient Rome,” Annabeth said.

 

“Where in Kansas?” Leo asked. With the _Argo II_ , they could easily be there within the day.

 

“That it won’t say…you have to pay for the tickets and then sign a bunch of legal contracts about secrecy before they’ll give you the location,” Annabeth said, dejecting a little.

 

“Yeah but…Kansas…we’ve at least narrowed down what state they’re in,” Hazel said positively. Annabeth nodded, then pulled out her cell phone.

 

“What are you doing?” Leo asked.

 

“If these are mortals who kidnapped our friends, there’s not actually a lot we can do. We need the feds to stop this,” Annabeth explained.

 

“Wait what?” Piper demanded. She was ready to go right now and get her boyfriend back. Then she was going to put him some place safe and never let him leave again.

 

“This is a whole organization of mortals,” Annabeth said. Admitting they couldn’t take it on was bitter in her mouth. “And there’s a lot of kids there; how are we supposed to get them all home safe? Turn the _Argo II_ into a taxi?”

 

She dialed the number of one of the detectives she knew was working the case. “Hello? Detective Green? This is Annabeth Chase…I think I found something you’re going to want to take a look at…”

 

The others let her handle relaying the information. It didn’t take her long.

 

“So now what? We just sit back and let the feds get our boyfriends?” Piper asked. Annabeth looked at Leo.

 

“No, now we go scour Kansas and see if we can sneak our boyfriends out of this place first,” Annabeth said. Leo smirked.

 

“Let’s fly!”

 

Chapter 4

 

 

Percy and Frank were not in good moods come morning. Jason had thankfully slept through the night, meaning he hadn’t been in pain for hours on end, but neither of them could really sleep and their eyes constantly drifted to their injured friend. And it pissed them off that he was injured.

 

Their door opened and trays of food were slid into the room. A spear point poked through while someone came in to grab their chamber pot. Percy and Frank glared at them from their beds, not having the energy to try and escape right now anyway. The door closed with a slam, waking Jason.

 

He jumped, unfortunately, and hissed in pain as it jostled his back. Percy and Frank both jumped up to hover over his bedside, both wanting to do something for him but unable to. “Easy,” Percy said.

 

Jason eventually relaxed again, turning his head on the mattress to look up at them. “What happened exactly?” he asked. His voice was hoarse and raspy, likely sore from all the screaming he had done the previous day. Frank went to get one of the small water cups for him.

 

“We don’t know how you got hurt, but their solution to patching you up was to burn the wounds closed,” Percy said, getting angry all over again.

 

“Oh, right,” Jason said, wincing. He saw the cup of water in Frank’s hand and knew he’d have to try and sit up to drink it. Forcing an arm under his chest, he carefully eased himself up without arching his back too much. Frank wordlessly handed him the water and Jason tilted his head back to drink it, downing the whole cup quickly. Frank took it back.

 

“So what monster were you fighting?” Frank asked. Jason eased himself back down, breathing heavily from the twinges of pain.

 

“Not sure…it was like a lion, but its skin was like a rock,” he said. “My sword couldn’t get through it.”

 

Percy recognized the monster immediately. “That’s the Nemean Lion!” he exclaimed. Jason and Frank looked at him. “I fought that thing a couple years back.”

 

“Shame it didn’t stay dead,” Jason muttered.

 

“Shame we’re stuck here in the first place,” Percy muttered, throwing a glare at the door.

 

“So much for the girls finding us within a few days,” Frank added, returning to his bed to sit back against the wall.

 

“I’m sure they’re tearing the country apart looking for us,” Jason said.

 

“I just wish I could get a clear connection with Grover…I don’t understand why our link is so weak anymore,” Percy said. He paced their small cell in frustration.

 

“Even if you could, you don’t have much to tell them. We don’t even know what state we’re in,” Frank said.

 

“Yeah, well…it’d be better than nothing.”

 

The two couldn’t argue with him. Percy finally got their trays of food and passed them out. Jason pushed himself onto one arm again and ate as quickly as he could. The food was cold and bland, but it was all they had. When they were finished, they put them by the door again. In the past, they had tried to keep them far back in the cell, but the guards didn’t fall for it. They told them to either slide the trays across the floor to them or they wouldn’t get dinner, and when the boys refused they just left, and true to their word the boys weren’t given dinner that night.

 

The situation was frustrating, overall. The fact that they couldn’t actually figure out a way to escape was driving them all mad, and now that Jason was injured so badly it made things a lot more difficult. They couldn’t trust that Jason would be able to run or defend himself without crumpling in pain, and considering the state of his back Percy and Frank wouldn’t blame him for crumpling in pain. He was going to have the mother of all scars when this was over.

 

The guards came back an hour later, collecting the trays and putting the chamber pot back in its corner. Percy waved at them as they watched him on his bed carefully. The door clicked close, the lock turning and sealing them in again.

 

Thankfully, it didn’t open again until dinner that night. Jason slept most of the day while Percy and Frank made up stories to entertain each other. The lights went off without warning, signaling lights out for everyone.

 

The next day, they dragged Frank up to the coliseum. He asked for a bow and arrows, which they willingly gave him. It was a change of pace for their viewers, and that they had no complaints about.

 

Frank shouldered the quiver and brought the strap over his head so it lay diagonally across his chest. The portcullis opened, and he stepped out into the coliseum. The fact that there were so many people there, paying to see kidnapped kids fight horrible monsters, bothered Frank to no end. He wished he could shoot his arrows at them, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t end well for him. Besides, they were still mortals. Even the man in charge of all this was still mortal, and Frank wasn’t a killer.

 

Well, he didn’t kill mortals. Hellhounds, those were another story. He felt no remorse as he drew his first arrow and took aim at the first hellhound. There were about seven total, and he was starting to regret his weapon of choice. The hellhounds were fast, and just because he shot one didn’t mean it stayed down. He was forced to dance around them while shooting, and he had too many close calls.

 

He was able to take down four of them before he ran out of arrows. The crowd hushed as his hand reached back and didn’t find any more arrows. His eyes widened and he dived to the ground to avoid a pouncing hellhound. Another one jumped on top of him, and Frank dropped the bow so he could use his hands to fend off the snapping jaws. The edges of his hands tore from the sharp teeth.

 

With no other options, he turned himself into a weasel, a creature small enough to slide out from under the hell hound. He turned back into a human quickly, hopefully quickly enough to keep people from thinking that had actually happened. He then ran around the arena, picking up used arrows and firing them while dodging the hell hounds.

 

It took him half an hour, and his arm was scratched up pretty badly, but he’d won. He panted as he surveyed the empty arena. The crowd cheered. He was brought downstairs, and they tied him down and burned his arm shut, just like they did to Jason two days previous.

 

He glared the whole way back to his room, cradling his injured arm. They’d said he’d be off the roster for the next few days so his arm could heal, and then they locked him in the cell again.

 

Percy was off the bed in an instant. “What happened?” he demanded, gingerly looking at Frank’s arm.

 

“Hell hounds,” Frank spat. “And these bastards are convinced that burning wounds is the only way to deal with them.”

 

Percy snarled. “I swear I’ll kill all of them myself for this,” he said.

 

Frank just walked past Percy and went to sit on his bed. Jason was passed out again, still lying on his stomach. His back still looked absolutely terrible, the burn shiny and pulling against his skin.

 

“If we don’t find a way out of here soon,” Frank started, looking up at Percy, “we’re going to be killed.”

 

Xx

 

Each of them armed with telescopes, Leo, Calypso, and the girls had taken the _Argo II_ to Kansas. Leo had created a grid-like flight pattern of the state and programmed it into the ship. Hopefully with this they would be able to cover all of Kansas and find their friends. Grover was already canvasing the state from the ground, hoping to get close to Percy to try and pinpoint their location better.

 

It had been a few days, and they still weren’t any closer. They were all sleep-deprived and had dark bags under their eyes. Coffee was only keeping them awake for so long. Piper had almost literally resorted to sticking toothpicks under her eyelids before Calypso dragged her to her room to sleep.

 

There had been no report from the FBI or the NYPD either. Annabeth had been calling twice a day asking for updates, only to be told that they were still looking into it and couldn’t disclose any information to civilians.

 

Leo was glad she was stuck on the _Argo II_ and couldn’t go strangle the detective for information. With the murderous look in her eyes most of the time, she very well might. Leo was honestly concerned for the people who had kidnapped the guys…these girls were not people to mess with. If any of them had a single scratch, the kidnappers were probably going to die. Very slowly. And painfully. Definitely painfully.

 

Until they were found though, all they could do was pray to the gods to keep Percy, Frank, and Jason safe.

 

Xx

 

The day after Frank had been injured, Percy was called to the arena. Percy looked downright murderous when he left, and Frank and Jason were slightly worried at what he might do.

 

They glanced at each other, concerned expressions mirrored on their faces. All they could do though was wait and hope for the best.

 

About a half hour after he was taken, they could hear yelling from their cell. Not the painful yelling Jason had made, more like alarmed shouts, like guards yelling to each other. There were metal clangs, the familiar clamor of sword on sword.

 

Frank and Jason glanced at each other again. It was much too close to be coming from the coliseum, meaning someone was fighting underneath.

 

Frank jumped off his bed and Jason pushed himself up to a mostly upright position.

 

“Would Percy really try and take on all these guards by himself?” Frank asked.

 

Jason didn’t answer for a moment. “Honestly…probably.”

 

Frank shook his head and rubbed his good hand over his face. “He better not get himself killed.”

 

Jason didn’t reply. They waited, listening to the sounds of the fight. Eventually the noise faded away, but nothing else happened. The door didn’t open to reveal either a triumphant Percy or a pummeled Percy. It didn’t open at all.

 

Frank sat back on the edge of his bed, and they watched the door intently for the next twenty minutes, not saying a word.

 

“What happened?” Jason finally asked.

 

Frank shook his head. “I don’t know.”

 

“He’s coming back…right?”

 

“Maybe he got lost?” Frank tried.

 

“Do you think he…you know,” Jason started, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

 

“He couldn’t have,” Frank responded. “He can’t be…that.”

 

They continued to wait, but the door only opened later that night to deliver their dinner and clean the chamber pot. The guards didn’t answer any of their questions, only glared at them with more malice than usual.

 

By the time their lights were shut off on them, Percy still hadn’t returned. 

 

Chapter 5

 

Percy was still missing come morning. Neither Frank nor Jason had really slept well; the slightest sound outside their door had them wide awake and waiting for several minutes only for nothing to happen.

 

Breakfast came and went without any answers. The two of them were forced to sit there in ignorance, thinking the worst.

 

Hours ticked by.

 

Their door was unlocked around noon, and Percy was shoved inside. He fell to his hands and knees, his face towards the floor.

 

Frank was off his bed in an instant and at his side. Jason only managed to sit on the edge of his bed, a hand wrapped around his torso in pain, and watch anxiously.

 

"Percy!" Frank said, putting a hand on Percy's shoulder.

 

Percy finally looked up, revealing a beaten and bloody face.

 

"What happened?" Jason asked.

 

Percy started shaking his head as he told the story. "After my fight, I started attacking the guards. I knocked a few of them unconscious…I don't think they were prepared for a surprise attack like that. But then reinforcements came, and…there were just too many…"

 

Jason and Frank both looked away. Frank helped Percy to his bed and then sat down next to him.

 

"As punishment they hung me from the ceiling by my wrists all night. A lot of them took some swings at me while I was up there."

 

Jason clenched his fists. This place was terrible. They were all getting horribly beat up, and there was nothing they could do about it, despite all their training. No matter how many times they said they had to find a way out of there, they couldn't seem to actually find one. They were helpless and completely at their captors' mercy.

 

They didn't really talk for the rest of the day. Percy spent most of it sleeping, and Jason and Frank found themselves dozing off more than once because of their terrible night's sleep the night before.

 

Before they knew it, their dinner had been delivered and then it was lights out. Another day had passed. Somehow they were all still alive, but they were beginning to wonder how long that statement would hold.

 

None of them woke up until breakfast the next morning, and they weren't happy about it. Jason was able to sit up now at least, as long as he didn't lean his back against anything. The guards had also provided another shirt for him, though he was loathe to put anything on since it would irritate his back.

 

A few hours later, they came back for a fighter. The boys glanced at each other. They had assumed all of them were off the roster for the moment because of injuries. None of them were really in fighting shape.

 

"We want the blonde one," the guard said.

 

Their jaws dropped.

 

"Are you kidding me? He can't fight!" Percy exclaimed.

 

"You send him in there he'll just be killed!" Frank added.

 

The guard smirked and nodded. Jason closed his eyes and sighed. His hands started trembling.

 

"If he doesn't come, he'll die in here. At least in the coliseum, he has a fighting chance," the other guard said. He lowered his spear so it pointed at Jason.

 

Percy and Frank both jumped off their beds. "You'll have to go through us first," Percy stated. Frank nodded beside him.

 

Jason regretfully pulled the shirt over his head. It itched against his back, but at least against the dirt it would offer some sort of protection. He then used Percy's and Frank's shoulders to pull himself to his feet.

 

"Guys, it's alright," he said. He was proud of himself for keeping his voice even. "Don't go getting killed because of me."

 

"Yeah, but," Percy started, glancing back at Jason.

 

Jason gave him a level look. "Like they said, I stand a fighting chance in the coliseum," Jason said.

 

Percy just looked back at him, finally setting his jaw and nodded. He stepped out of Jason's way.

 

"You're not seriously going to do this?" Frank asked.

 

"I'm not letting you two get hurt because of me," Jason said, stepping past him.

 

"Let him go," Percy said. He turned away, crossing his arms.

 

Frank glanced between the two of them. "You better come back," he threatened.

 

Jason gave him a small smile. "See ya guys," he said before walking out the door with the guards. He gave Percy one last look as the door was shut and locked.

 

"Alright, let's go," the guard said, pushing Jason forward.

 

He stumbled, cringing in pain as his back twisted. He walked calmly through the halls to the armory, grabbing a sword and a shield. How much good they would do him when he could barely move his arms he wasn't sure, but it was better than nothing.

 

Jason stood in front of the portcullis, his whole body trembling. Guards stood on either side of him. The crowd was loud, even from here.

 

"I'm not expected to survive this, am I?" Jason finally asked.

 

The guards chuckled. "Let's just say that sometimes the audience likes to see the kid get eaten by the monster," one of them said.

 

Jason locked his jaw and nodded, readjusting his grip on his sword. He stood with his head high and tried to control his shaking. If he was about to die, then he was going to do it honorably, and he wasn't going down without a fight.

 

His back already ached just at the thought of the coming exertion.

 

The portcullis was raised, and he stepped into the coliseum without any prodding from the guards.

 

Xx

 

Frank pounded on the door again as a bear. The metal held firm, which only made him angrier and made him hit it again and again. He managed to gouge four furrows into the metal, but the door was still stubbornly keeping them locked in.

 

"Frank, take it easy!" Percy said.

 

Frank morphed back into a human and rounded on Percy. "Jason is about to die out there and you want me to take it easy?" he demanded, advancing on Percy.

 

Percy backed up with his hands up. "I agree we can't just let him die, but this isn't helping anything."

 

"Yeah well at least I'm doing something!" Frank snapped. He morphed again and went back to attacking the door.

 

Percy hung his head and looked away. Things were not going well, not well at all.

 

Xx

 

A hydra. A three headed acid-spitting hydra. That was what was waiting for Jason in the coliseum.

 

"Gods, really?" Jason demanded, almost losing his resolve at the sight. Hydras were difficult to beat on a normal day when he wasn't as badly injured as he was. They were fast, and with all three of their heads and a swinging tail they had their whole body covered. Chopping heads off only made it worse, but they were the only things Jason could even get to.

 

The crowd was roaring for action, and the hydra had spotted him and was already charging him. Jason darted around the edge of the arena, hoping to buy himself some time to figure out a plan. He was too stubborn to go down without a fight, and part of him was convinced he could still somehow win this.

 

The twinges of pain from his back said otherwise, but he was choosing to ignore that for the most part.

 

He slid to a stop and faced the monster, slowly backing up and readying his sword behind his shield.

 

The middle head shot a quick spray of acid at him. He ducked down under his shield. The metal clanged as the saliva hit, and a sizzling sound erupted as the shield started to decompose. Jason abandoned it and ran for it again. The hydra again pursued.

 

Jason glanced back as he ran and made up his mind. He'd be faster in the air, and it shouldn't hurt his back too much more than running was. But he was going to survive this day, if it was the last thing he ever did.

 

He jumped and turned in the air, but he didn't land. He soared up and made a wide arc to the hydra, using his sword to deflect a snapping head and landed on the beast's back.

 

The crowd's reaction was to go silent in surprise before hushed whispers and then cheering. They probably thought it was some sort of stage trick. Jason was content to continue ignoring them.

 

There wasn't any way to hold on once he was on the back of the hydra, and his feet slid right down its back. He twisted to try and stab the monster as he fell, but his back flared in pain and he curled in on himself, falling to the ground. Fresh blood poured out of reopened wounds. His sword fell out of his grasp.

 

The hydra rounded on him, all three mouths open and snarling. Jason forced an eye open to watch and started crawling, digging his fingers into the ground to pull himself along. The hydra snaked all three heads towards him.

 

A bolt of lightning hit the beast, stunning it long enough for Jason to force himself to his feet and fly to the other side of the arena. He collapsed against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground and panting.

 

It took a minute for the hydra to recover, and when it did it had another head. Jason groaned and dropped his head back against the wall. Shield gone, sword on the other side of the arena, back flaring in pain every time he moved…he was screwed.

 

The hydra started coming towards him again. He used the wall to push himself to his feet, still panting hard. His hands clenched into fists, and he launched himself into the air above the hydra's heads.

 

The crowd went wild again, but Jason couldn't care less about them. He made a beeline for his sword, but his landing was sloppy. He ended up tumbling head over heels, sliding to a stop on his side and still unarmed. He had scratched up his back too, so for a good thirty seconds all he could do was curl into a ball and try not to scream.

 

The sound of the hydra coming closer was what got him up again. He staggered to his sword, somersaulting out of the way of snapping teeth, and then launched himself into the air again.

 

The crowd's screaming intensified again. Jason gave them a glance. He could make out dark doorways around the seating, but they looked like they led to hallways. He'd likely get lost in the maze, but he could handle anyone that tried to stop him.

 

But first, he had to deal with this hydra. He couldn't just let it loose on all these people, no matter how bad of a shape he was in.

 

The hydra paced under him, the heads twisting around and hissing. Finally one of them spit acid up at him. Jason only just barely avoided it.

 

He took a deep breath and steeled himself. Hovering around up here all day wasn't going to solve anything. He needed to move, now, before he passed out.

 

He dive-bombed the hydra, twisting around in the air to avoid its four heads and landed on its back again. Prepared for the slippery surface, he let himself slide as he stuck his sword into the monster's back and let gravity drag him and the sword down.

 

The hydra roared in pain, all four heads reaching for the sky and howling. Jason dropped to the ground, losing his sword in the hydra's flank. He smirked up at the beast. The wound alone wouldn't be fatal, but given time the monster would bleed out. He just needed to outlive the monster.

 

He could actually survive this.

 

He didn't see the flailing tail behind him until it was too late. The scaly limb slammed into his back, knocking him face-first into the ground. His screams were muffled by the roar of the hydra, and his body curled in on itself again.

 

The hydra finally stopped howling and took a few steps back to reexamine Jason. One head reached back and grabbed the sword still stuck in its flank and threw it across the arena. The other heads eyed Jason and snaked towards him.

 

Gunshots filled the air. The sound was so surprising Jason opened his eyes to see what was happening. The crowd erupted into chaos in the stands, but he could hardly pay attention to that because of the hydra. It was ready to strike again.

 

He jumped to his feet but fell to his knees again, his back unwilling to cooperate anymore. He nearly stopped breathing as he blinked up at the monster, realizing that this might be it for him. He had gone into this fight assuming he wouldn't come out, but he had still dared to hope he might find a way to win.

 

It didn't look like that was going to happen though.

 

No, Jason thought. I won't give up here.

 

He could still use lightning again. It would drain him, and if it didn't work this time he would be a goner, but it was still something.

 

There was movement behind him against the wall, but he was too focused on the hydra to look back. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated all his effort into a single blast of lightning.

 

A white bolt snaked down from the ceiling and struck the hydra on the back. It roared again, stumbling from side to side before falling.

 

Jason realized too late that he was too close. As the hydra fell, its heads fell right towards him. With his vision doubled because of the exertion, he hadn't been able to accurately tell where it was. At least, not until it landed on him. He was pinned to the ground, the hydra's head on his back. The teeth gouged into his back, and he screamed as the burns were torn open.

 

"Hey, you still with me kid?" someone asked.

 

Jason opened his eyes in surprise and turned his head to see a man wearing a SWAT helmet and a rifle.

 

"Just hold on, we're getting you and everyone else out of here," the man said. He swung the rifle to his back and then went to lift the hydra's head just as it crumbled to dust. "Um…"

 

Jason tried to push himself to his feet, but the pain in his back sent him back to the ground.

 

"Here," the man said, taking one of Jason's arms and putting it around his shoulders. "Ready?"

 

"Just do it," Jason said.

 

The man stood up, dragging Jason with him. Jason grit his teeth against the pain, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

"Alright, stay with me now," the man said. "Are all the other kids under the arena?"

 

"Yeah…go through the portcullis. Watch for guards," Jason managed.

 

The man nodded. He led Jason to the wall where several ropes had been dropped down. "Can you hold on or should I tie it around you?"

 

"Better tie it," Jason admitted. He barely trusted himself to stand by himself right…holding onto a rope while he was pulled up just wasn't going to happen, and he didn't have the energy to fly.

 

"Alright, this'll just take a second," the man said. He looped the rope under Jason's arm and tied it loosely behind him so it would rest against his chest and not his back. In another moment, Jason was being lifted up the wall.

 

More SWAT team members helped him over the edge and then took his arm around their shoulders to lead him out. His vision went hazy and he stumbled more than he walked. Only the SWAT man kept him upright.

 

Before he even knew it he was outside. He shut his eyes against the sunlight. It had been so long since he'd seen it, but it was so much brighter than anything he'd been in during the last few weeks.

 

He was taken right to an ambulance. "This one needs a hospital, now!" the man helping him walk said.

 

Jason was laid down on his stomach on one of the stretchers, and despite all of them telling him to stay awake, exhaustion overcame him and he passed out.

 

Xx

 

Frank was forced to take a break to catch his breath. The door was dented and bent out of shape, but they were still trapped in their cell.

 

"Damn…it…all," Frank panted. He had his hands on his knees as he panted, sweat beading on his face.

 

Gunshots echoed down the hall. Percy and Frank glanced at each other. Guns weren't something usually used in their half of the world.

 

Guards shouting followed the gunshots, and then kids in other cells were shouting to demand to know what was going on. For a while, there was nothing but chaotic noise. Then, a voice echoed down the hall.

 

"Everyone calm down! We're getting you out of here, but we need you to be calm and cooperate with us!"

 

Percy and Frank glanced at each other again. "What the hell?" Percy asked.

 

Frank shrugged.

 

Most people in the hall were having the same reaction. Jingling keys silenced most people, and the constant sound of doors opening was riling everybody up.

 

When the SWAT members reached their door, they eyed the door with a strange look but then unlocked it. It barely opened because of how beat up it was, but Frank and Percy squeezed through.

 

"What about our friend Jason?" Percy asked the man with the keys before someone else started pulling him along. "He's fighting in the arena!"

 

"We got him out," someone else said. "He'll be fine."

 

Percy and Frank both visibly relaxed and went along quietly with the SWAT team, doing what they asked. They along with all the other kids were shepherded outside. All together there was over twenty of them, all males around their age. Many of them had various injuries as well. A couple of them, Percy noticed, had the Camp Jupiter tattoo on their arm.

 

People went around looking them all over, cataloguing their injuries and taking their names. Once everyone was accounted for, various ambulances were filled with kids and drove off to the nearest hospital. Those with the worst injuries went first. Percy and Frank insisted on being some of the last, along with many of the kids with the Camp Jupiter tattoos.

 

The hospital was chaos incarnate. The emergency room was already full of patients, both from the new coliseum and from the general community. Some kids were put immediately into rooms with promises that a doctor would be in to see them as soon as they could. Percy and Frank were separated, Percy being taken to have his head looked at because of all the bruising all over his face. Frank was taken with many others to have his burns looked at.

 

Everything was too much of a mess for anyone to tell them what happened to Jason. All they could do was pray that he had survived long enough in the arena to make it here.

 

Chapter 6

 

Annabeth had been asleep when the detective had called her. The phone going off jolted her awake, and she knocked everything off her desk in her search for the phone, picking it up before it went to voicemail.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Ms. Chase?” the familiar detective’s voice asked.

 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Annabeth said. There was only one thing this could be about. Her heart was already pounding.

 

“The FBI has located the facility you brought to our attention. SWAT was deployed to shut it down and get all the missing kids out of there. Percy Jackson was among them.”

 

Annabeth had to sit down on the bed. She was almost crying she was so happy. “Is he alright?”

 

“I’m not sure about his status specifically, but everyone was taken to the North Mercy Hospital in Vissex, Kansas.”

 

Annabeth nodded, committing the names to memory. “Thank you so much,” she said.

 

“You’re welcome, but really we should be thanking you. Without your tip, a lot of those kids would probably be killed before we could find them.”

 

“Do you know if Jason Grace and Frank Zhang are okay?”

 

“Hold on…” Papers rustled on the phone. “Yeah, both of them are listed on the kids currently at North Mercy.”

 

“Thank gods,” Annabeth muttered.

 

“Alright, well, I have a lot of other people to call,” the detective said.

 

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Annabeth said. “Thank you so much.”

 

“My pleasure,” he said. They ended the call, and Annabeth rushed out to tell everyone the news.

 

Xx

 

Percy was only still in the hospital because it was easier for the federal agents to keep track of everyone involved if they didn’t leave. He and all the other kids had been put mostly together on the same two floors once everyone was treated. A few special cases were scattered in the rest of the hospital, like Jason who was in ICU because of his back.

 

Frank wasn’t in the same room as him, but he was on the same floor and they just hung out in one another’s room anyway. And while they were still essentially trapped since they couldn’t leave the building and everyone preferred if they stayed in the same room, it was tons different from their tiny cell.

 

For one, the beds were more comfortable. And there was sunlight. Percy had only been this excited to see sunlight when he and Annabeth escaped Tartarus. Annabeth and the others were also supposedly on their way, if his rough link with Grover was anything to go by.

 

For the moment though, the most important thing was T.V. Actual television to keep them entertained. No more games of ‘I Spy’ or making up stories for each other.

 

He had also called his mom and Paul as soon as he had the chance. Many of the nurses were loaning their cell phones to the kids because there was so many of them, all without any money, and only two payphones in the hospital. His mom had been in hysterics and Paul had taken over the call, saying how glad he was that they were all safe.

 

They had said they were leaving right after the call, but New York was still a good day’s travel away. Annabeth and the others, however, would likely be here any minute. It had been half a day, and knowing Annabeth she had found the fastest way here and made it faster.

 

“Hey,” Frank said from the doorway.

 

Percy looked away from the T.V. to him. “What’s up?”

 

“I’m going to go check on Jason, see if he’s awake yet and warn him about the girls coming,” Frank said.

 

Percy snickered and jumped from the bed. “I’ll come too.” He tossed the remote to his roommate and followed Frank to the elevators.

 

Frank’s bad arm was in a sling, and there were a couple of bruises that had finally started to show, but other than that he was fine.

 

They were quiet on their way to Jason’s room. So much time together in the last few weeks meant that they had run out of things to talk about a long time ago. The elevator ride was short, and then Frank led the way to Jason’s room.

 

It was mostly because of pain medication that Jason had been unconscious the whole time. His back had been treated and was now completely wrapped in gauze.

 

“Oh man, you know what I just realized?” Percy said at Jason’s door.

 

Frank looked back at him. “What?”

 

“Piper is going to kill all of us when she sees how badly Jason is hurt,” Percy stated.

 

Frank paled. “We’d better hide now.”

 

Percy nodded and started looking around frantically, then froze again. “Wait, if we hide then Annabeth and Hazel will kill us!”

 

Frank smacked his forehead and cursed. “We’re dead either way then!”

 

“But,” Percy started, putting a hand to his chin in thought. “If we meet Annabeth and Hazel before Piper finds Jason, then Annabeth and Hazel can keep Piper from killing us!”

 

Frank thought about it and nodded. “Yes, good idea. Just give me a sec to warn Jason.”

 

Frank pushed the door handle down and stepped inside. Jason was sitting up, the bed reclined under him to support him. He was the only one of the three of them to actually have a hospital gown on.

 

He just looked at them and shook his head. “Seriously guys? Piper is not going to kill you,” he stated.

 

Both of their cheeks reddened and they looked away. Percy scratched the back of his neck. “Heh heh, you heard that huh?”

 

“These rooms aren’t soundproof,” Jason stated.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Percy said.

 

Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Anyway, when are the girls getting here?”

 

“Should be any time now,” Percy replied.

 

“How about now?” a familiar voice said behind them. Frank and Percy jumped and turned to see Piper, Leo, and Calypso standing in the hallway.

 

“Calypso?” Percy asked.

 

She crossed her arms and looked away from him.

 

Piper, Frank, and Jason raised a brow at that while Percy scratched the back of his neck again.

 

Leo just put his arm around her and shrugged at Percy. “Annabeth and Hazel went upstairs to your rooms,” he said.

 

Percy and Frank smiled and glanced at each other. “We’ll see you guys later then,” Percy said. He and Frank then left, practically running to the elevator.

 

Piper turned to Jason, walking up to his bed and looking him over. “How badly are you hurt?” she asked.

 

Jason looked away and took a deep breath. “Pretty bad, actually.”

 

Piper bit her lip to keep from crying and nearly collapsed onto the bed next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The jostling made him wince, but he didn’t push her away. He just wrapped his arms around her.

 

“What happened, exactly?” Leo asked, walking closer with Calypso.

 

Piper pulled away slightly so she could hear.

 

“There was some sort of knock out gas at the laser tag place, and when we woke up we were all in this one cell. Turns out some mortal who can see through the Mist made a deal with a minor god. He supplies the gladiators, the god supplies the monsters, they make money,” Jason explained.

 

“That is terrible,” Piper said. “Someone needs to stop him!”

 

“I think SWAT already did,” Jason replied.

 

“But you weren’t able to escape?” Leo asked. “I mean the three of you…who could ever hold the three of you?”

 

Jason snorted. “We tried every single thing we could think of, and usually got beat up for our efforts. If there was another way, we never thought of it.”

 

“And how did you get hurt?” Piper asked.

 

“I was fighting the Nemean Lion,” Jason said. “It tore open my back, and then their solution to bandaging it was to burn the wounds shut.”

 

They all gasped and Calypso covered her mouth.

 

Piper’s gaze narrowed into a glare. “I’m going to kill them all,” she said. She was off the bed in the next instant and storming for the door.

 

“Piper!” Jason called. “Piper you can’t just—“

 

She didn’t stop, and she was already out of the room.

 

“Leo stop her!” Jason said.

 

“Oh, right!” Leo said. He pecked Calypso on the cheek and then ran into the hall, calling Piper’s name.

 

Jason sighed and shook his head.

 

“So you’re Jason, correct?” Calypso asked. She was playing with the end of her hair nervously.

 

Jason looked up at her and gave a small smile. “Yeah. It’s nice to meet you. Leo told us a lot about you.”

 

“He did?” she asked, a blush covering her cheeks.

 

Jason chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. But hey, what was that thing with Percy before?”

 

She crossed her arms and glared at the wall. “I don’t want to talk about him.”

 

Jason raised a brow and slowly nodded. “Okay then,” he said slowly. “I’m sorry I asked.”

 

She let out a deep breath and relaxed. “I’m sorry, I just…he broke a promise he made to me.”

 

He furrowed his brow. “That doesn’t sound like Percy. He must have had a good reason. You should talk to him.”

 

“Perhaps. But not right now.”

 

Jason nodded again and leaned his head back against the pillow. Hopefully he’d be allowed to leave soon, or at the very least Piper could sneak him some ambrosia. That stuff would have him back on his feet in no time, much sooner than mortal medicine could.

 

He couldn’t wait.

 

Xx

 

Frank and Percy found the girls standing in the hall talking to each other, slightly panicked looks on their faces.

 

“Hazel!” Frank called, a smile spreading across his face.

 

Both girls turned and saw them, smiling themselves. They ran towards each other, Hazel jumping into Frank’s arm. Even with one hand, he was still able to hold her to him and spin her around.

 

Percy, however, paused a few feet from Annabeth and held his hands up, a slightly wary look in his eyes. “You’re not going to flip me again, are you?” he asked.

 

“If you don’t get over here right now then yes, I am,” Annabeth stated.

 

Percy smiled and closed the distance, wrapping his arms around her. “I missed you Wise Girl.”

 

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, Seaweed Brain,” she said. To Percy’s surprise, she was crying.

 

“Are you guys okay?” Hazel asked.

 

They both nodded. “Some nectar and ambrosia should have us right as rain in a day or two,” Percy replied.

 

“Good,” Annabeth said. “You might want to let your face heal before you see your mother. She’s been out of her mind with worry. Moreso than when you were taken by Hera.”

 

“Oh boy,” Percy muttered.

 

“Well you can’t blame her,” Hazel stated.

 

“I don’t, I blame the stupid guy who kidnapped us,” Percy said.

 

“About that,” Annabeth said, stepping away and crossing her arms. “How in the name of Athena did you all get kidnapped?”

 

Percy and Frank sighed, glancing at each, and then began to explain everything. They moved into Frank’s room, spreading out on his bed and the chair. The boys also told them about what happened to Jason and where all of their injuries came from.

 

By the end of it, Annabeth just shook her head. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” she stated.

 

“That goes for you too,” Hazel told Frank.

 

Frank and Percy just smiled and hugged their girlfriends. It had been a long time coming, but they were finally safe and together again. And maybe for once it would stay that way.

 

****

Chapter 7 / Epilogue

 

Jason, Percy, and Frank had had to stay at the hospital for several more days before the FBI was willing to let them go back home. They had all been questioned several times about what happened, especially Jason since there were reports of him flying. Jason denied those claims and pretended he had no idea what they were talking about. Whether they actually believed him or whether they decided it was easier to believe him than deal with how a teen could fly, he didn’t know, but they let it go.

 

A lot of people came in to visit while they were there too. Nico stopped by, but he didn’t stay long. Once he knew everyone was alright he was gone again. Grover hung out with them once he made it, as did Thalia. Thalia, to all of the boys’ delight, had ambrosia with her. Jason was given most of it, but Frank and Percy had some too. It was enough to lighten the bruises on Percy’s face to a less gruesome look and also healed Frank’s arm enough that he didn’t need the sling. For Jason, she had only had enough to at least let him move slowly without feeling agonizing pain.

 

The doctors had no clue what had happened and why the three of them had healed so suddenly. They just called it a miracle and let it go.

 

When Percy’s mom and stepfather arrived, there was crying and tight hugging and some laughter from those not being suffocated by a parent. They then recounted the story for them, downplaying all the life-threatening parts and emphasizing multiple times that they were fine.

 

Her side-eye at Jason told them she didn’t quite buy that, but Paul put a hand on her shoulder and she let it go.

 

While they remained at the hospital, the tension between Calypso and Percy didn’t get better. Calypso was content to pretend Percy didn’t exist, and Percy just tried not to antagonize her further. Much to everyone else’s chagrin, neither one explained what was happening between them. All Leo would offer was that it was between them and if they didn’t want to tell everyone, he didn’t feel right explaining what he knew.

 

Annabeth and Piper finally intervened after four days. With a glance and a nod at each other, the two made everyone but Percy and Calypso leave the room they were in (Jason was finally healed enough to walk around again). Then Annabeth closed the door behind them, leaving Percy and Calypso inside with the promise that they couldn’t come out until they had worked out whatever problem was between them.

 

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Leo said, eyeing the door nervously.

 

“They’ll be fine,” Piper waved a hand.

 

“How do you know they’ll talk?” Hazel asked.

 

“They’re going to want to come out eventually,” Annabeth shrugged.

 

The others glanced at each other and then looked at the door, and then they settled in to wait. They could hear Percy and Calypso’s indignant sputtering on the other side of the door, which didn’t exactly encourage them.

 

Inside the room, Calypso sat down on the bed with her arms crossed tightly. Percy ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the door, glancing at her.

 

“So…here we are,” Percy said.

 

Calypso huffed and pointedly looked away from him, her hair flying over her shoulder.

 

Percy sighed. “Look, they’re not kidding, they really will keep us trapped in here until we work this out, which will really only work if you talk to me.”

 

“I don’t have anything to say to you,” Calypso stated.

 

“Well, I have something to say to you,” Percy said, pushing off the door and taking a few steps towards her.

 

She glanced up at him, curious.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I had to leave and go back to the mortal world, and that I chose Annabeth over you.”

 

Calypso narrowed her eyes and her jaw dropped. “Percy Jackson, you think I’m mad at you because you chose to leave Ogygia?” she asked. “Because you fell in love with another girl?”

 

“Um…aren’t you?”

 

“No you moron, I’m not. I’m mad at you because you promised to get me off of Ogygia but you didn’t! You promised to make the gods end my punishment but it didn’t end! I was still trapped on Ogygia for years until Leo found me!”

 

Percy’s mouth formed an ‘o’ and he nodded slowly. “That would be a bit more reasonable, yeah,” he said softly.

 

Calypso looked away again.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t do as I said. When I made the gods promise to start acknowledging the minor gods, I figured you were included in that. I never thought to mention you specifically.”

 

“And you were too busy with your girlfriend to ever check,” Calypso spat.

 

Percy stayed silent for a moment. “Yeah, I guess I was,” he admitted. “I don’t really have a good reason, and I’m sorry. You deserved better than that.”

 

“I only saved your life and nursed you back to health,” she said, giving him a sideways glare.

 

“Exactly,” he said. “I should have tried harder to make sure you were being taken care of. And I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but would it be too much for me to ask anyway?”

 

Calypso turned towards him and looked him up and down, debating. “When I told Leo why I didn’t like you, he said that maybe I was forgotten about intentionally. He said that if I had been taken from Ogygia before, there wouldn’t have been anyone to save him.”

 

Percy stayed quiet.

 

Calypso gave a small laugh and shook her head. “Maybe the fates were right to make me wait for Leo anyway. You and your Annabeth are so lovely together, and I care for Leo in a way that I never cared for any of the other heroes that I’ve saved. And he came back for me…he cares for me too.”

 

Her voice had gone quiet at the end, and Percy smiled.

 

“Leo definitely cares for you. And he’s already proven that he’ll do things for you that me and the other heroes wouldn’t. You’re better off with him.”

 

Calypso gave him a half-smile. “You’re only saying that so I’ll forgive you,” she said.

 

Percy laughed. “Only a little. I mean every word though. You and Leo are great together. I’ve only ever seen him look at you the way he would at his ship. I think you mean a lot more to him than either of you realize.”

 

Calypso blushed.

 

“So…am I forgiven then?”

 

She sighed. “Yes, I suppose I forgive you for being a complete jerk.”

 

Percy smiled. “I hope you’re not just saying that so we’ll be allowed out of here.”

 

She laughed and shook her head.

 

“Then we’re good?” he asked, holding a hand out to her.

 

She accepted his hand and stood up. “We’re good.”

 

“I’ve got to ask though,” Percy said, stepping back and crossing his arms. “How is the whole you being immortal thing going to work?”

 

Calypso giggled and shook her head. “I’m not immortal anymore. When I left Ogygia, I essentially gave up who I was, immortality included. It won’t be a problem.”

 

Percy’s eyes widened. “Seriously? You’re a regular mortal then?”

 

She nodded.

 

He blew air out of his mouth. “Well then.”

 

She pointed at the door. “May we go now?”

 

It took them a few minutes to convince their wardens that they had actually fixed everything between them and they weren’t just trying to get out of there before they were actually allowed out, but everyone smiled at them when they were finally released.

 

Two days later, Percy, Jason, and Frank, along with all the other boys that had been kidnapped, were finally allowed to go home. Percy and Annabeth went with his mom and stepfather, Thalia took off with the Hunters again, and the others walked two miles to a field where the _Argo II_ was waiting. After dropping Hazel and Frank off at Camp Jupiter, Leo, Calypso, Piper, Jason, and Grover went back to Camp Halfblood.

 

Two days after that, Percy and Annabeth came by for a visit, bringing with them a newspaper.

 

The paper was dropped on Jason’s lap, opened to a specific article. At first he was confused, but when he saw it was about the New Coliseum, he couldn’t seem to read it fast enough. Piper and Leo read over his shoulder.

 

Most of the people working the Coliseum had been arrested and were being charged with homicide. Belgertia had tried to run for several days but had been caught, and he was being thrown in jail for life with no bail. The article also thanked the anonymous tip the FBI had been given about the Coliseum’s existence.

 

“Wow,” Jason said. “For once we didn’t have to fight the big fight.”

 

“Yeah, feels strange,” Percy said. “But I can’t say I’m complaining.”

 

“What about the minor god that was helping him get the monsters?” Jason asked.

 

“Chiron says Olympus is looking into it, but they’re not sure which one was responsible,” Annabeth said. “I’m not sure what they’ll do once they figure it out either. They don’t exactly have rules against doing such a thing.”

 

“Yeah, but they messed with kids of Zeus and Poseidon, that can’t go over well,” Percy said.

 

“Hey if we get to say for once that it’s not our problem I’m content to go with that,” Jason stated, handing the newspaper back.

 

“Yeah, about time we get to retire,” Percy stated.

 

“You know, inadvertently you did save all those kids and stop that coliseum,” Piper said. “If you three hadn’t been kidnapped then we never would have started looking for you, and we never would have figured it out.”

 

“Hey, if it weren’t for my tip about them all looking like MMA fighters you never would have figured it out,” Leo stated.

 

They chuckled.

 

“That’s true,” Annabeth said. “That comment did help a lot.”

 

“Well I guess we’ll just say thank you to all of you then,” Jason said. “Does that cover it?”

 

Piper chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. “That covers it just fine.”

 

Percy gave Annabeth a similar peck on the cheek, murmuring his thanks to her.

 

“So now what?” Leo asked.

 

They glanced around at each other, no one really having an answer. They almost didn’t know what to do when they didn’t have some sort of impending doom to try and stop.

 

But that was the beauty of it. They were free to relax for once and let others deal with the big problems. They were free to move on and do what they actually wanted to do. They were free to waste their days goofing off. And they were sure Frank and Hazel were enjoying their time together in New Rome.

 

Because for once, the problems of the world weren’t theirs to deal with.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Edit 9/24/17: So I was rereading this just for kicks, as one does, and discovered I had an entire chapter missing that actually shows the boys being rescued. I am so sorry I did not realize that sooner. This was crossposted on Fanfiction.net so I must have accidentally skipped it when copying the chapters over to AO3. I feel like I've cheated everyone who actually read this before. I'm so sorry.


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